I play badminton quite a bit (state and inter-state tournament level and can/have won a few). Unfortunately most players are not on my level and I mostly play doubles so they stick me with the weaker one. Guess what happens during practice, EVERYTHING goes to the other guy. I can easily beat these people playing 2 on 1 but I rather involve more people on the game. Do I like playing this way? No. On shots where my partner is supposed to drop a killer bomb, he lobs it up so that puts my face in the line of fire. I set up an easy kill shot and he just dinks it back.

In the end I had to adapt to it by just practicing different shots or getting closer to the net on smash returns to make it harder for me in order to get my reaction time up to speed. I also start practicing more difficult shots and more deception shots and try to win games by aiming for the lines either with punch shots or with lobs. I am thinking you can do this with tennis too.

I am only 3.0 (playing tennis for about 6-7 months) but I already have faced a pusher as well as a big hitters. I find the pushers the easiest to beat because I am very comfortable at the net and I am still coping with ball spin and court spacing so I can't consistently hit back heavy. I do have a pretty good serve I think (same motion as badminton smash) so I get easy points that way. The pusher had beaten me 4-6 after I was up 4-0 because I started to try to hit big. At the end of the set I said to myself there was really nothing to lose so I changed tactics and starting slicing back to him and rushing the net. I won the next set 6-1 and he got only 3 points on the following tie breaker.

As for the big hitter? I kept the ball in play while moving him around with slices, flat shots, and drops (I looove drops ) He was so winded that in the 2nd set I started getting easy passing shots because he just couldn't run. Bring him in to one corner, he hits back 1/2 court, watch if he runs to middle, then slice to either his back foot or way in front depending on how fast he is running. Worked like a charm.

You and I define pushers differently. I doubt there are any at the 4.5 level. I don't define a baseline defensive player or retriever to be a pusher. I am referring to people who don't hit conventional or full strokes and who push the ball back, moon ball, slice, dink dunk etc...

So, lololololololol

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Santoro was a pro who sliced his forehand, beat Safin 11-0, pushed Fed close in 3 tight sets in the USO.

UNFORTUNATE, classic mistake this article makes. It tells you "unfortunately, pushers don't disguise their LOBS very well". Oh yea, that 's nice to know. BUT how do you read pusher's lobs ? did he tell us ? NOoooooooo.

I will tell you instead. I know a few tricks that being a advanced level player that I am. This is very valuable information. Until the pusher hits his sliced lobs, you don't need to watch the ball. WATCH his rackets FACE. and angle of his racket face. If you are not used to doing this, it will take bit of getting used to. Just before he hits the ball, ANGLE of his racket face will be wide open, meaning face of his racket will be facing the ceiling or sky or something close to that. If he is about to hit his slice drive ( if you can call that crap a drive), the racket face will be more closed.
WATCH his racket face during WARMUP, and ask him to hit a few passing shots and Lobs. and see the difference of the racket face Angle and you will see the difference.
and once you know, USE it during the match.

WATCH the racket face, not his ugly face(unless his name is Maria Sharapova). Before he hits the ball, it will be like he is telling you, I am going to LOB or I am going to hit a slice pass.:-?

When I am being served to from the duece court I typically hit a forehand slice DTL return...which stays nice and low and make them flip it up with their backhand at which point I move in and take the overhead and put it away.

works like clock work against and average or less fit opponent.

if I am playing a fit guy then I have to watch out for the cross court passing shot as I am comming to net...but then I just change the game plan and mix in the slice forehand if I find them playing well with pace.

I am giving you some advanced level tips that very few people give you. these are kind of things that will give you an edge when everything is fairly equal. I should be charging money for these kind of tips. Why don't you look in the internet and see how many tips on " How to read your opponents shots before they hit them based on their body position and or racket angle and so on" and see. VERY FEW to NONE.

I hit slice forehands all the time. It works great! Often my opponent has trouble picking up the ball that barely bounces and skids, especially if it's short.

But, of course, I can also hit flat and with topspin. I can also hit loopy topspin shots and driving penetrating flat shots. Having the slice forehand in my repertoire just gives me the full arsenal to keep my opponent guessing and off balance.

I play badminton quite a bit (state and inter-state tournament level and can/have won a few). Unfortunately most players are not on my level and I mostly play doubles so they stick me with the weaker one. Guess what happens during practice, EVERYTHING goes to the other guy. I can easily beat these people playing 2 on 1 but I rather involve more people on the game. Do I like playing this way? No. On shots where my partner is supposed to drop a killer bomb, he lobs it up so that puts my face in the line of fire. I set up an easy kill shot and he just dinks it back.

In the end I had to adapt to it by just practicing different shots or getting closer to the net on smash returns to make it harder for me in order to get my reaction time up to speed. I also start practicing more difficult shots and more deception shots and try to win games by aiming for the lines either with punch shots or with lobs. I am thinking you can do this with tennis too.

I am only 3.0 (playing tennis for about 6-7 months) but I already have faced a pusher as well as a big hitters. I find the pushers the easiest to beat because I am very comfortable at the net and I am still coping with ball spin and court spacing so I can't consistently hit back heavy. I do have a pretty good serve I think (same motion as badminton smash) so I get easy points that way. The pusher had beaten me 4-6 after I was up 4-0 because I started to try to hit big. At the end of the set I said to myself there was really nothing to lose so I changed tactics and starting slicing back to him and rushing the net. I won the next set 6-1 and he got only 3 points on the following tie breaker.

As for the big hitter? I kept the ball in play while moving him around with slices, flat shots, and drops (I looove drops ) He was so winded that in the 2nd set I started getting easy passing shots because he just couldn't run. Bring him in to one corner, he hits back 1/2 court, watch if he runs to middle, then slice to either his back foot or way in front depending on how fast he is running. Worked like a charm.

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that is the best way to beat the pusher. go to the net. the overhead is the most important shot against the pusher. If you play a good overhead you can really destroy the pusher.

Honestly I think pushers deserve a special place in hell. The last couple tournaments I played I decided to play the open draw (I am somewhere between 3.5-4 level). While I lost these matches I elevated my level of tennis and enjoyed myself. I didn't have that disgusting feeling that I lost to a pusher.

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Yes, it can be fun to get trounced by a superior player. There's no pressure on you to win, and occasionally you hit a nice shot that surprises your opponent and you briefly feel like a badass. Your opponent provides the pace and you get to say "good shot" a lot instead of "how did I miss that?" Good times.

But let's not kid ourselves. Nobody "elevates their level of tennis" in a couple of matches. Your level is your level and it's determined by who you can beat, not who you can enjoy losing to.

that is the best way to beat the pusher. go to the net. the overhead is the most important shot against the pusher. If you play a good overhead you can really destroy the pusher.

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This is key. Develop a solid net game. A 'pushed' slice is really greatest gift you could ask for when you are at the net.

If you have a solid net game, you will a) force the pusher to play offensively (maybe actually go for topspin shots) which could very well lead to a ton of errors or b) they will slice lob all the time, which is an easy point if you know its coming and also have solid overheads.

Alternatively, bring them to net. These types of players typically have no net game. If they have weak volleys, dont even go for passing shots. Just hit it at their feet or just go for them :twisted:

I have no problem drilling a shot at a pusher's chest. They deserve it.

I am giving you some advanced level tips that very few people give you. these are kind of things that will give you an edge when everything is fairly equal. I should be charging money for these kind of tips. Why don't you look in the internet and see how many tips on " How to read your opponents shots before they hit them based on their body position and or racket angle and so on" and see. VERY FEW to NONE.

Yes, it can be fun to get trounced by a superior player. There's no pressure on you to win, and occasionally you hit a nice shot that surprises your opponent and you briefly feel like a badass. Your opponent provides the pace and you get to say "good shot" a lot instead of "how did I miss that?" Good times.

But let's not kid ourselves. Nobody "elevates their level of tennis" in a couple of matches. Your level is your level and it's determined by who you can beat, not who you can enjoy losing to.

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Are you saying practicing and playing superior players will not eventually elevate your game? You would prefer to play the "win at all costs" pusher to get better?

Are you saying practicing and playing superior players will not eventually elevate your game? You would prefer to play the "win at all costs" pusher to get better?

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I think it's probably best to play both. Playing against superior players will definitely help your game (as long as they aren't TOO superior), but I think you can learn different skills from playing against more limited players. Like making your own pace, moving your opponent around the court, coming to net, attacking the short ball-- I don't get to do much of that against superior players because I'm too busy scrambling to stay in the point.

Either way it takes more than a few matches to elevate your level no matter who you're playing (at least, I've never seen that kind of quick improvement in my game). If you can find a steady supply of superior players to play against, more power to you... I can't, and I'm not going to pay a tournament entry fee just for the privilege of losing to them, so I'll gladly play a "pusher."

That said there's a danger to playing exclusively against players who will let you get away with passive and nonthreatening shots-- so it's good to play with some players who will punish those. But I think the only opponent who isn't really worth playing is the one who makes an error on every other shot.